Residents have been vehemently opposing the strict implementation of helmet rule in Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar limits as more accidents were caused due to non-availability of footpaths for pedestrians to walk, lack of traffic signals and no regulation of traffic at the islands.
In the wake of ensuing elections to MCK, the Lok Satta Udyama Samstha district unit had convened ‘People’s manifesto and voters awareness programme’ at Film Bhavan in the town on Tuesday. Participating in the discussion, a retired headmaster P Nagamohan said that wearing of helmets has become a bane to the motorists due to the congested roads and autorickshaw menace.
Referring to Gujarat State where the helmet rule was lifted in the towns, he asked: “Where is the need for strict enforcement of helmet rule in a small town like Karimnagar where the vehicle speed does not cross 10 kmph to 20 kmph.” If the police want to really enforce the helmet rule, first they should remove encroachments on footpaths including the district police headquarters shopping complex, ZP complex, Municipal complex and its guest house area and allow walking space for pedestrians so that the vehicles can move easily on the roads. Secondly, the police should also regulate the traffic at islands where the autorickshaws have become a big nuisance with haphazard parking causing traffic snarls, he suggested.
Yesu Reddy, a senior citizen, found fault with the traffic police for penalising the motorists not wearing helmets without providing basic facilities such as traffic signals, traffic signboards, zebra crossings etc on the roads. He also informed the traffic police to focus on overloading of autorickshaws, where at least three to five persons sit on the driver’s seat in autos. He also alleged that the police were according priority only to clicking pictures of motorists not wearing helmets and neglecting the traffic violators who were causing accidents in the town.
On this occasion, Lok Satta Udyama Samstha State coordinator Bandaru Rammohan Rao along with district president N Srinivas, secretary Prakash Holla, district leaders R Chandraprabhakar, K.S. Narayana, M Ganga Rao, Gangadhar,and others released People’s Manifesto.
The People’s Manifesto demands daily water supply in Karimnagar, maintenance and protection of parks, allocation of parking lots, shifting of roadside vendors to the model rythu bazaar to ease traffic congestion, setting up of libraries in every municipal park, daily collection of garbage from the houses free of cost without any charges, check on illegal constructions in the town, implementation of citizens charter, construction of public toilets and its maintenance etc.
